How to Clean Oil Stains From a Driveway (London Guide)

Oil stains are the single most common reason London homeowners search for driveway cleaning help. Between diesel drips from parked cars, chain-lube from bikes and the odd garden-machinery spill, most driveways pick up a few dark patches every year. The good news: most stains lift with household products if you act quickly. Older, soaked-in stains usually need a hot pressure wash and a degreaser — often best left to a local specialist.

1. Act fast on fresh spills

If the oil is still wet, cover it with a thick layer of cat litter, sawdust or baking soda and leave it for 20–30 minutes. These absorbents pull oil out of the surface before it soaks in. Sweep up and bin the used absorbent — do not wash it into the drain.

2. Choose the right cleaner for your surface

• Block paving: a poultice of biological washing powder and warm water, scrubbed with a stiff brush, works well. Avoid strong acids — they etch the joint sand.
• Concrete: tolerates degreaser or diluted patio cleaner. Scrub in, leave for 10 minutes, rinse.
• Tarmac: never use petrol-based solvents (white spirit, WD-40). They soften the binder. Use warm soapy water and a soft brush.
• Resin-bound: use a pH-neutral cleaner only. Anything harsher risks discolouring the resin.

3. Rinse thoroughly

Rinse from the highest point down so you're always washing clean water over dirty surface. A garden hose with a trigger nozzle is fine for fresh stains; older stains usually need a pressure washer at 100–130 bar.

4. When to call a professional

If the stain is more than a few weeks old, covers a large area, or has been rained on repeatedly, you'll likely need a hot-water pressure wash (up to 150°C) with a rotating surface cleaner. That's a £120–£250 job for most London driveways — and it usually restores the whole driveway, not just the stain.

London-specific tips

Diesel is much harder to remove than petrol; if you have a diesel car, apply an absorbent under the engine bay whenever it's parked long-term. In older London homes with clay soil, driveway edges hold moisture and stain worse — treat the whole slab, not just the mark.